Seen on the way to the office...

I'm frankly shocked he stayed still long enough for me to take his picture.

See the little guy under the bush?  There were two more galavanting just out of frame; I couldn't capture them.  The building is the old library, and Theology is still there.  My office is upstairs, and one of the large rooms has been turned into a classroom.

Just a Monday morning at UCU...  :)

Welcome to my flat!

I moved into my flat Thursday!  I'm still getting sorted out, and would like to get a small dresser and some bookcases, but otherwise, it's good to get started!

The place is small - though it looks smaller on the outside than it actually is.  I'm guessing 400-500 square feet?  Definitely no more than 600.  The bedroom windows are on the side, which is great for not getting blasted with sun.  There's still that fresh-paint smell, but the walls look great.

As you can see, the yard needs help.  I have a small plot (marked by the fence) that runs around my three sides of the building, and didn't take many pictures because it's all this sad.  Helen had a smashing idea to retain Felix to work in the garden, and she's plotting to pull up the remnants of whatever's on the fence and plant Bougainvillea (sp?), as well as have a small garden for lettuce, coriander, basil... yum!  I am highly amused that I have the brownest thumb on the planet, and now I'm going to have the makings for a nifty plot of land.  Granted, I'm not doing the work, but I'm glad Helen's thinking.

So, when you enter, the first room is the sitting room.  The first door to the right is the spare bedroom/study, the second door on the right is the master bedroom, and the third door is the bathroom.  The door to the left is to the kitchen (which should be obvious from the refrigerator in the cutaway).

I enjoy the sitting room, especially while the sun is setting, though there's no room for a proper dining set.  I think this will do just fine, though.  The furniture, art, drapes, and 'carpet' (that's what they call it - you can barely see it in the first sitting room picture) were all provided by the University.  I can upgrade as I see the need.  Helen and I are planning to remove the carpet and just go with the bare floor.

Before the curtains went up, look who was on the back door to greet me!

The spare room/study.  Yes, my hair dryer is on the bed.  

Here's a closer look at the desk - I'm so grateful Vanessa moved out the extra bed and added it.  The books here are just some light reading to tide me over until my boxes of books come.

Here's an early shot of my bedroom.  Yes, the carpet is hideous.  This is the mosquito net that the University provided, and yes, it has a skirt.  I found it difficult to get in and out of, so I've since swapped it for the one I brought.

One thing that's funny is that this is the exact pattern sheets I had when I was a student!  Helen said she picked them out for me - she did well.

The bathroom's fairly tight.  And yes, the carpet is also, umm, vibrant.  The shower curtain to the left is what the school provided, and since it's rusting a bit at the grommets, I bought the one on the right, as well as the bathmat.  I like the punch of yellow to brighten the blue.

The kitchen is interesting - aside from the color, it's small, and doesn't have a pantry.  I'm going to have to look for something to make shelves, and most of what you see is provided by the university, aside from the food, vitamins, and towels (they gave some; I bought others).

Thanks for taking the grand tour!  

Sunsets from my porch

From my time in the Honours College, I knew that my front porch (and my sitting room) would be front-row seating for sunsets, and I have been very much looking forward to this.


We're heading into the rainy season, and there was a lot of cloud cover this afternoon, so much so that I thought that there wouldn't be much of a sunset.  Boy, was I wrong.


I've had issues uploading photos, so please click here to see three shots of tonight's display.

So, Wednesday, I had flu symptoms again (fever, chills), and a trip to the clinic ruled out malaria.  The dean decided I was fatigued, and banned me from work until Monday.  Hallelujah.


I moved into my flat on Thursday!  It looks tiny from the outside, and while it's not large, it has two bedrooms (one a guest room/study), sitting area, kitchen, and bathroom.  


This morning, I went to Kampala and supported the economy by getting the basics for the kitchen and life.  Then the rod for my closet came crashing down.  Pity I can't unpack more... really.  I'd like to get settled, but the carpenter is coming back on Monday to fix the rod.


I'm having issues with uploading photos, but I'll get them posted as soon as I can.

Temperatures

It isn't often that the temperatures in my two homelands matches.  And for the record, I'm sitting at my desk, about to put on a jacket.  Brrr.

Great news!

My flat is supposed to be ready today! Vanessa tells me that I can move in on Tuesday "when the smell of paint is over."

Hallelujah! As much as I have enjoyed the guest house, I've not enjoyed living out of my suitcases.

Pictures to come once things look decent!

Let the visa games begin!

Today, I sent my work permit/visa application packet off with Peter, the gentleman that UCU uses to expedite the process.  He makes the treks to Immigration, making sure the paperwork is in order, and is where it should be.


One of the Americans told me that his fee is a bit steep, but one trip to Immigration, and you'll be willing to pay three times that.  Amen.  One thing I'm not terribly fond of is that when he was explaining his fee structure, he has "friends" in the Immigration office, and he sees to it that the paperwork is processed on time, isn't lost on a desk, etc.  While I get that this is normal business in Africa, I don't have to be happy about it. 


But let the record reflect that I'm not displeased enough to tackle this on my own.  Oh no.  Even the conversation in which he told me the different things I needed, and that he waited on campus while I got them is worth the fee, as that probably saved me two trips into Kampala.